Fire alarm systems, and more generally security systems, are often installed within buildings such as commercial, residential, or governmental buildings. Examples of these buildings include offices, hospitals, warehouses, schools, shopping malls, government offices, and casinos. The security systems typically include fire and/or security control systems (such as control panels), fire detection devices, alarm notification devices, surveillance cameras, access controllers, network video recorders, and door controllers, to list a few examples, which are installed throughout the buildings. Some examples of fire detection devices include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, flame detectors, temperature sensors, and/or pull stations (also known as manual call points). Some examples of alarm notification devices include speakers, horns, bells, chimes, light emitting diode (LED) reader boards, annunciator panels, and/or flashing lights (e.g., strobes).
The fire detection devices monitor the buildings for indicators of fire. Upon detection of an indicator of fire, the devices are activated and signals are sent from the activated device(s) to the control system, e.g., control panel. The control system then initiates an alarm condition by activating audio and visible alarms of the alarm notification devices of the fire alarm system. Additionally, the control system may also send a signal to a fire department or fire brigade, a central receiving station, local monitoring stations, and/or other building alarm/notification systems (e.g., public address systems).
In the case of more general security systems, the control system additionally interfaces with the surveillance cameras, network video recorders, video analytics systems, motion detectors, access control systems and other controllers. For example, these control systems may store and analyze camera video, check credentials of individuals at access points, and monitor other building systems.
Typically, building codes, local laws, standards, and/or insurance providers require that the fire detection and alarm annunciation devices are periodically tested (e.g., monthly, quarterly, or annually) to verify that the fire detection and alarm notification devices are physically sound, unaltered, working properly, and located in their assigned locations. This testing of the fire detection and alarm notification devices is often accomplished with a walkthrough test.
Additionally, these security systems need to be serviced and are often later reconfigured and upgraded. During the initial installation, the components must be installed and then interconnected. Later maintenance and upgrades may be required. Repair of the components or the control system also are not unusual.
Service systems for the inspection of security systems exist. For example, in walkthrough tests of fire alarm systems, a service system data logger is often connected to the fire control panel. The first technician then walks through the building and manually activates each fire detection and alarm notification device while the second technician remains at the control panel to verify that the fire panel received a signal from the activated device and the test was properly logged.
More recently, these service systems have taken the form of computers that are connected to the fire panels, which can avoid the need for the second technician. During the walkthrough test, the technician places one of the fire detection devices into an alarm condition. The fire panel detects the alarm condition of the activated device and sends a message containing the location and/or address of the activated device to the computer. Next, the computer converts the message received from the fire control panel to an audio stream and sends the audio stream to the technician over a communications link. The technician hears the location and/or address of the activated device and verifies if the device is wired correctly. The testing process repeats with the next fire detection device until the fire alarm system has been verified.